Nehemiah S. Steel

Nehemiah Stephen Steel (14 June 1836-2 April 1903) was a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives from Tennessee's 7th congressional district from 1868 to 1888.

Biography
Nehemiah Stephen Steel was born in Franklin, Tennessee on 14 June 1836. Steel graduated from Transylvania University with a law degree, and he practiced law in Nashville for decades. Steel became a member of the US Democratic Party due to his conservative views, and he served in the State Senate for several years, during which time he resisted several reforms that were proposed by the US Republican Party. In 1868, Steel was elected to the US House of Representatives as the congressman from the 7th district, representing his hometown of Franklin. Steel opposed the integration of African-Americans into white society, and he was associated with Ku Klux Klan Imperial Kleagle Jedidiah Pickart. Steel vocally opposed the liberalization of American politics during Reconstruction, and the Nashville-Franklin area would remain a strong base of support for the Democrats towards the end of the 19th century. Steel left office in 1888 after five terms, and he died in 1903.